As British Prime Minister Keir Starmer prepares to meet President Donald Trump in Washington, the world watches to see whether the UK can maintain its role as a diplomatic bridge between Europe and the United States. With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine still unresolved and peace talks between Washington and Moscow underway in Riyadh, Starmer’s challenge is to assert Britain’s commitment to Ukraine while navigating Trump’s unpredictable approach to foreign policy.

Since 2014, the UK has positioned itself as a key player in countering Russian aggression, from supporting Ukraine after the annexation of Crimea to leading sanctions against Moscow following the full-scale invasion of 2022. British governments have consistently pushed for Western unity, ensuring the US and Europe present a collective front against Russian expansionism. Now, as the US engages in direct negotiations with Russia-without Ukraine at the table-Starmer must determine how Britain can influence this evolving diplomatic landscape.

The meeting with Trump is unlikely to be straightforward. While Starmer has avoided direct criticism of Trump, particularly regarding Middle Eastern policies, the issue of Ukraine is too central to Britain’s national security to be glossed over. The British government has firmly rejected Trump’s controversial claims that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is a dictator and that Ukraine provoked the war. Defense Secretary John Healey recently emphasized, “Three years ago, one country illegally invaded another, and since then, the Ukrainians have been fighting for their freedom.” Trump, however, has criticized both Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, accusing them........

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